Anti-creep brassiere



May 30, 1967 c. MRSACHS; v I 3 3 2 127 ANTI CREE? BRASS IERE Filed Feb. 25, 1965 IN VEN TOR.

[ham/es M Sac/7s BY QQMSLILQ United States Patent 3,322,127 ANTI-CREE? BRASSIERE Charles M. Sachs, Fort Lee, N.J., assignor to International Playtex Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 434,292 6 Claims. (Cl. 128-483) This invention is a brassiere designed and constructed to allow expansion with breathing and body motion and yet avoid cumulative creeping out of position.

A brassiere has to fit the chest, which is constantly expanding and contracting. Every breath a girl takes expands and contracts her chest. Moving the arms, and other body motions, also enlarge and then contract the chest. With each change in chest size and shape the brassiere should accommodate to it but Without cumulative creep that would move it out of proper position. The more nearly perfectly the brassiere returns each time to its original position, the better the brassiere.

There is relatively little difliculty in adapting to the changes in the upper half of the brassiere region, where the flesh is relatively firm; there the skin and brassiere can move back and forth somewhat without serious displacement resulting. The situation is otherwise around the lower half of the periphery of the breasts. Here if a brassiere rides up and out with the skin it can ride off the chest wall and up onto the protuberance of the breast, causing discomfort and a feeling of insecurity, and thereafter failing to return fully to proper rest position. When the underbust portion of the brassiere 'has once moved up onto the protuberance of the breast it can keep going further, since the one natural holding line has been passed.

The riding-over problem can of course be solved by providing a very tight underbust band. That however merely substitutes one undesirable feature for another.

It is an object of this invention to design a brassiere with maximum resistance to riding-over derived from its built-in differential stretch patterns that cause it on expansion to 'hug the boundary of the breast more precisely. Thus anti-creep is achieved without the discomfort of a too tight girth band.

The drawings show the presently preferred embodiment of my invention.

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of my brassiere as seen on the wearer, and

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic corresponding front elevation illustrating the brassiere of this invention in a rest relatively contracted position and also showing it in a relatively expanded position. The difierential expansion of the various parts of this brassiere as between the contracted and expanded positions is shown by series of arrows.

It is to be understood that the brassiere may have any known or suitable dorsal band arrangement and shoulder straps; these are not the subject of the present invention, and as they are conventional they are merely indicated here.

The brassiere of my invention, as illustrated'in FIG- URE 1, has cups 10, 20 of a conical to hemispherical shape, each having upper half 11, 21, lower half 12, 22, and generally horizontal mid-seam 13, 23. The members making up the cups are, as is usual, cut with convex edges that are pulled to each other, overlapped, and sewn together to form the median seam. Thus outwardly peaked cups are formed.

Elastic tapes 30, 40 extend from the tops of the cups, where shoulder straps may be attached, along the upper inner edges of the cups. These lengths constitute branches 31, 41. The tapes cross each other at midpoint 50 and extend on as branches 32, 42 along the lower inner edges of now the opposite cups 20, 10.

The upper branches 31, 41 of the tapes overlap-by about half their widththe upper inner edges of cups 10, 20, and are secured to them by preferably a double line of stitching. The elastic tape is slightly extended as it is sewed to the inelastic cup member. This results in a finished product which at rest is slightly gathered along that edge. It is thus capable of a small degree of elastic stretch. The elastic portion that extends past the edge of the cup member more readily adapts itself to the body in that region, and lies lightly but snugly against the skin.

Below the midpoint 50 the lower branches 32, 42 also overlap-again by about half their widththe lower inner edges of the cup members. These extend into the path of the double row of stitching, so when a continuous run of stitching is made it is the lower edge of the elastic tape which is sewed in both branches. In the top branch the upper edge extends freely out past the cup 10, whereas in the bottom branch the upper edge extends freely in over the cup 20. The continuous stitching also securely fastens the tapes to each other where they cross at the midpoint 50.

The tapes 30, 40 are inherently straight, but in being sewed to the shaped cups their lower branches become bent in, so the lower branches are less divergent than the upper branches. This relationship tends to be confirmed and enhanced when on the body.

At the same time the lower branches of the tapes are sewed to the cups, a triangular piece of two-way stretch elastic 60 is also sewed to the cups and the lower branches of the tapes.

Across the front center, under the cups, is an underbust band 70. This band is horizontally elastic. In the central region its elasticity is preserved, for there it is sewed by zigzag stitching to elastic fabric 60. The underbust band is preferably two or three times more resistive to stretch than a like width of the fabric 60. Under the cups a small amount of the stretchability of the under bust band is retained, in that it too is slightly stretched when it is sewed to the inelastic cup. The top quarter inch or so of the underbust band overlaps-and is sewed to the cups and the triangular elastic fabric and the bottom ends of the cross tapes.

In the embodiment illustrated, the underbust bands are coterminous with the outer edges of the cups, and both are joined to dorsal band members 80, of any desired nature. When the underbust band is assembled into the composite front panel it is curved on a downwardly concave arc. Desirably the bottom edges of the dorsal band members, when laid out flat, continue this same downwardly concave are; because of the taper of the body that will result in their lying just about straight across in back when on the body.

The action of this brassiere on the body is illustrated in FIGURE 2. The stretching and displacement seen near the outer edges and from the median line up is kept in check by the anchored midpoint 50. In these portions of the body there is no great creep problem, and when the body again contracts those parts of the brassiere tend to resume their initial relation to the midpoint 50 and to the body.

The crucial region where unacceptable creep may start is along the lower semicircular boundaries of the breasts. If a brassiere starts to climb onto the breast protuberance, once it goes past the line of departure it may go on to where it is short-cutting across a chord of the breast, creasing it in, dividing it, and pushing part of it down rather than up.

In the present invention it will be noted that the seam edge lies at the inner edge of the breast protuberance, and is reinforced by the free half-width of elastic tape that can help in accommodating from breasts with narrow 3 separation to those with wider separation. Whichever of these edges is effective on a given body, the narrow apex portion of the triangular elastic fabric does not allow enough lateral displacement to ride up onto the breast.

Below that, the corner B was by its angle spaced out a little from the arc of the breast. When the brassiere expands this is curved in as seen at B to more closely correspond with the arcuate boundary of the breast. The

portion of the underbust band under the center of the breast, indicated at C, is the initial close primary anchor against the brassieres front being pulled upwardly. This point, which has little or no leeway, does not change on expansion: it is a node in the cycling of the brassieres shape. The outer end portion of the undrebust band indicated at D, extends about horizontally while the breast boundary curves upwardly. Thus, there is latitude at that corner, and at that corner the underbust band moves up as seen at D.

Since there is nowhere the beginning of riding up over an edge of the breast protuberance, the whole system pulls back to very nearly its original position when the body again contracts, avoiding creep, and giving a highly satisfactory combination of both adaptability and restoration.

While I have illustrated the presently preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that its teachings, in whole or in part, can be incorporated in many varaiations.

I claim:

1. A brassiere in which:

(a) two inelastic cups are provided;

(b) two crossed tapes are respectively secured to the inner edges of the brassiere cups and are secured to each other at their crossing point, said tapes having upper branches above their crossing point and lower branches below it;

(c) an elastic underbust band extending under the cups from substantially the outside edge of one cup to substantially the outside edge of the other cup and is secured to the lower edges of the cups, said underbust band having essentially uniform construction throughout its length; and r (d) a triangular piece of elastic fabric is positioned in the space between the lower branches of the crossed tapes and the underbust band, with the three edges of said triangular fabric being respectively secured along the inner edges of the lower branches of said crossed tapes and along the upper edge of said underbust band; and

(e) approximately one-half of the width of each crossed tape above said crossing point overlaps the upper-inner edge of one of said cups with the remaining width thereof extending away from the upper half of said cup; and

(f) approximately one-half of the width of each crossed tape below said crossing point both overlaps and is secured to the lower-inner edge of the other cup with the remaining width thereof extending free of the lower-half of said other cup; and

(g) said overlapping portions of each crossed tape are secured to said cups in a continuous line, the bottom ends of said lower branches extend to the underbust band and are secured to it.

2. Brassiere having:

(a) inelastic cups;

(b) a continuous unitary elastic underbust band of essentially uniform composition and width through out its length extending across under the cups from substantially the outer side edge of one cup to substantially the outer side edge of the other cup and secured to the bottom edges of the cups;

(c) elastic crossed tapes secured to the inner edges of the cups and secured to each other at their crosspoint, said crossed tapes having upper branches above their crossing point and lower branches below it, the bottom ends of said lower branches extending down to the underbust band and being secured there; and

(d) an essentially uniform triangular piece of fabric,

which is elastic at least horizontally, positioned in the space between the lower branches of the crossed tapes and the underbust band with the three edges of said triangular piece of fabric being respectively secured to the inner edges of the lower branches of the crossed tapes and the upper edge of the underbust band.

3. Brassiere as in claim 2 in which the underbust band retains essentially full stretch in its center region between the cups, and at the outer regions under the cups has its stretch limited along its upper edge by gathered inelastic lower edges of the cups which it overlaps and is secured to.

4. Brassiere as in claim 2 in which the crossed tapes are angled at their crossover so as to diverge lesstherebelow than thereabove.

5. Brassiere as in claim 2 in which the upper width portion of each crossed tape above the crossing point lies free outwardly away from the upper-inner edge of one cup and below the crossing point the upper width portion lies free inwardly over the lower-inner edge of the other cup, the tapes are secured to the cups by stitching, and the stitching is a continuous widened line with laterally spaced apart elements, which widened line runs continuously along substantially the full width of the lower width portion of the tape, securing the lower width portion of the tapes to the upper-inner edge region-of one cup and the lower-inner edge region of the other cup.

6. Brassiere having:

(a) inelastic cups; 7

(b) a continuous unitary elastic underbust band of essentially uniform composition and width through out its length extending across under the cups from substantially the outer side edge of one cup to substantially the outer side edge of the other cup and diverge less therebelow than thereabove, said tapes having upper branches above their crossing point and lower branches below it, the lower ends of said lower branches extending down to the underbust band and being secured there; and

(d) an essentially uniform triangular piece of fabric, which is elastic at least horizontally, positioned in the space between the lower branches of the crossed tapes and the underbust band with the three edges of said triangular piece of fabric being respectively secured to the inner edges of the lower branches of the crossed tapes and the upper edge of the under- 7 bust band.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,542,881 2/1951 Ries 128-483 2,560,706 7/ 1951 Spetalnik 128-489 2,864,374 12/1958 Verreault 128-483 3,186,412 6/1965 Kurland 128-483 FOREIGN PATENTS 533,728 12/1954 Belgium.

ADELE EAGER, Primary Examiner.

Disclaimer 3,322,127.0harles M. Sachs, Fort Lee, NJ. ANTI-CREEP BRASSIERE.

Patent dated May 30, 1967. Disclaimer filed May 6, 1974, by the assignee, Rapid-American Corporation. Hereby disclaims the portion of the term of the patent subsequent to May 31,1980.

[Oficial Gazette June 25, 1.974.] 

1. A BRASSIERE IN WHICH: (A) TWO INELASTIC CUPS ARE PROVIDED; (B) TWO CROSSED TAPES ARE RESPECTIVELY SECURED TO THE INNER EDGES OF THE BRASSIERE CUPS AND ARE SECURED TO EACH OTHER AT THEIR CROSSING POINT, SAID TAPES HAVING UPPER BRANCHES ABOVE THEIR CROSSING POINTS AND LOWER BRANCHES BELOW IT; (C) AN ELASTIC UNDERBUST BAND EXTENDING UNDER THE CUPS FROM SUBSTANTIALLY THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF ONE CUP TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE OTHER CUP AND IS SECURED TO THE LOWER EDGES OF THE CUPS, SAID UNDERBUST BAND HAVING ESSENTIALLY UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH; AND (D) A TRIANGULAR PIECE OF ELASTIC FABRIC IS POSITIONED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE LOWER BRANCHES OF THE CROSSED TAPES AND THE UNDERBUST BAND, WITH THE THREE EDGES OF SAID TRIANGULAR FABRIC BEING RESPECTIVELY SECURED ALONG THE INNER EDGES OF THE LOWER BRANCHES OF SAID CROSSED TAPES AND ALONG THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID UNDERBUST BAND; AND 